Search

Compton polarimeters have played an important role in the study of nuclear structure physics, but have often been limited in their applications because of relatively low γ-ray detection efficiency. With the advent of γ-ray tracking detector arrays, which feature nearly 4π solid angle coverage and the ability to identify the location of Compton-scattering events to within a few millimeters, this limitation can be overcome. Here we present a characterization of the performance of the Gamma Ray Energy Tracking In-beam Nuclear Array (GRETINA) as a Compton polarimeter using the 24Mg(p,p′) reaction at 2.45 MeV proton energy. We also discuss a new capability added to the simulation package UCGretina to simulate the emission of polarized photons, and compare it to the measured data. Finally, we use these simulations to predict the performance of the Gamma Ray Energy Tracking Array (GRETA).

One-phonon states of vibrational nuclei with mixed proton–neutron symmetry have been observed throughout the nuclear chart besides the mass A≈200 region. Very recently, it has been proposed that the 22 + state of 212Po is of isovector nature. This nucleus has two valence protons and two valence neutrons outside the doubly-magic 208Pb nucleus. The stable isotope 204Hg, featuring two valence-proton and valence-neutron holes, with respect to 208Pb, is the particle-hole mirror of 212Po. In order to compare the properties of low-lying isovector excitations in these particle-hole mirror nuclei, we have studied 204Hg by using the projectile Coulomb-excitation technique. The measured absolute B(M1;22 +→21 +) strength of 0.20(2)μN 2 indicates that the 22 + level of 204Hg is at least the main fragment of the 21,ms + state. For the first time in this mass region, both lowest-lying, one-quadrupole phonon excitations are established together with the complete set of their decay strengths. This allows for a microscopic description of their structures, achieved in the framework of the Quasi-particle Phonon Model.

The wealth of data collected in the study of superdeformation in {sup 151}Dy allowed for new information to be obtained on the normally deformed structures in this nucleus. At high spin several new yrast states have been identified for the first time. They were associated with single-particle excitations. Surprisingly, a sequence was identified with energy spacings characteristic of a rotational band of normal ({beta}2 {approximately} 0.2) deformation. The bandhead spin appears to be 15/2{sup -} and the levels extend up to a spin of 87/2{sup -}. A clear backbend is present at intermediate spins. While a similar band based on a bandhead of 6{sup +} is known in {sup 152}Dy, calculations suggest that this collective prolate band should not be seen in {sup 151}Dy. In the experiment described earlier in this report that is aimed at determining the deformations associated with the SD bands in this nucleus and {sup 152}Dy, the deformation associated with this band will be determined. This will provide further insight into the origin of this band.

Following the first report of superdeformed (SD) bands with identical transition energies in the pairs ({sup 151}Tb*,{sup 152}Dy), ({sup 150}Gd*, {sup 151}Tb) and ({sup 153}Dy*, {sup 152}Dy) (where * denotes an excited SD band), it was proposed by Nazarewicz et al. that the observations could be understood in a strong-coupling approach if pseudo SU(3) symmetry were invoked. In this model there are three limiting values of the decoupling parameter; i.e. a = 0, {plus_minus}1. In the first two cases mentioned above the pairs of bands have nearly identical transition energies and are interpreted as proton excitations involving the [200]1/2 pseudospin orbital coupled to the {sup 152}Dy core, for which the value of the decoupling parameter is calculated to be a =+1.

A measurement on lifetimes of high-spin states in the yrast and near-yrast rotational bands in {sup 162}Yb was carried out at ATLAS in order to determine the evolution of collectivity as a function of angular momentum using the {sup 126}Te({sup 40}Ar,4n){sup 162}Yb reaction at 170 MeV. Previous lifetime measurements in the {sup 164,166,168}Yb isotopes showed a dramatic decrease in the transition quadrupole moment Q{sub t} with increasing spin. It was suggested that this decrease in Q{sub t} is brought about by the rotationally-induced deoccupation of high-j configurations, mainly i{sub 13/2} neutrons. If this interpretation is correct, the heavier isotopes should have a larger decrease in Q{sub t} than the lighter mass nuclides due to the position of the Fermi surface in the i{sub 13/2} subshell. Indeed, {sup 160}Yb does not show a clear decrease in Q{sub t} at high spin. No high spin lifetime information exists for {sup 162}Yb, thus this experiment fills the gap of measured Q{sub t}`s in the light Yb series. The data is currently being analyzed.

Very few experimental observables are ordinarily accessible for superdeformed (SD) states in the A {approximately} 150 and A {approximately} 190 regions. The gamma-decay out of the superdeformed bands usually proceeds directly to the normally deformed states, through highly fragmented pathways, making it difficult to determine the spins, parities and excitation energies of the SD states. The in-band E2 transitions are so collective (2 x 10{sup 3} single-particle units in the A {approximately} 190 region) that it is typically impossible to detect any of the competing M1 and E1 transitions between states in the SD well.

Gammasphere experiments in 1993-94 brought to light the existence of an excited superdeformed (SD) band in {sup 190}Hg with the unusual property of decaying entirely to the lowest (yrast) SD band over 3-4 transitions, rather than to the normally deformed states as is usually the case in the A {approximately} 150 and A {approximately} 190 regions of superdeformation. Although M1 transitions between signature-partner SD bands were previously observed in {sup 193}Hg, no such mechanism was available to explain the situation in the even-even nucleus {sup 190}Hg, whose yrast SD band has no signature partner. The best explanation appears to lie in long-standing theoretical predictions that the SD minimum in the potential energy surface would be quite soft with respect to octupole vibrations. This would lead to enhanced E1 transitions connecting the one-phonon and zero-phonon states. The data and this interpretation were published. A shortcoming of the Gammasphere experiments was that they did not allow the definitive measurement of the energies of the gamma-ray transitions connecting the two bands, due to the very weak population of the excited band ({approximately}0.05% of the {sup 190}Hg channel) and also partly, we believed, to the angular distributions of the transitions, which were peaked nearmore » 90 degrees, where Gammasphere had few detectors.« less

The interaction between coexisting shapes in nuclei near closed shells was of great interest in the past decade. Excited 0{sup +} states at low energy can often be identified as the bandheads of structures with differing shapes built on those states, These structures were identified in {sup 190-198}Pb via beta decay and alpha decay {open_quotes}fine structure{close_quotes} studies. Coexistence of different shapes in Pb nuclei was predicted by Nilsson-Strutinsky calculations, in which both the oblate and prolate minima were predicted to have excitation energies near 1 MeV. It was our intention to continue the systematic study of the Pb nuclides by searching for excited O{sup +} states in {sup 188}Pb by observing the fine structure in the alpha decay of {sup 192}Po.

The island of superdeformation in the vicinity of the doubly magic {sup 152}Dy yrast superdeformed (SD) band is thought to be well understood in the framework of cranked mean field calculations. In particular, the calculations suggested that in {sup 154}Dy there should be no yrast or near yrast SD minimum in the 40-60 h spin range, where SD bands in this mass region are thought to be {sup 153}Dy nucleus, it is populated. However, with the presence of five SD bands in the neighboring necessary to ascertain if the addition of one single neutron diminishes the importance of shell effects to the extent that superdeformation can no longer be sustained. In an experiment utilizing the increased resolving power of the early implementation phase of Gammasphere, the reaction {sup 122}Sn({sup 36}S,4n) at 165 MeV was employed to populate high spin states in {sup 154}Dy. In a four-day run with 36 detectors, over one billion triple and higher fold coincidence events were recorded. One new SD band was identified and was assigned to {sup 154}Dy. From comparisons with the Im{sup (2)} moments of inertia of the SD bands in {sup 152}Dy and {sup 153}Dy, a configuration based on (514)9/2{sup 2} neutrons coupledmore » to the {sup 152}Dy SD core was proposed. One unexpected and as yet unexplained feature of this new SD band is that the transition energies are almost identical to those of an excited SD band in {sup 153}Dy. It is also worth noting that the feeding of the yrast states is similar to that achieved by the deexcitation from the ensemble of all entry states in the reaction. This observation emphasizes the statistical nature of the decay-out process. A paper reporting these results was accepted for publication.« less

The study of yrast and near-yrast structures of odd-odd nuclei to high spins is somewhat limited due to the complexity of the spectra resulting from the many proton-neutron couplings near the Fermi surface. In superdeformed nuclei, the number of available protons and neutrons near the Fermi surface is somewhat limited due to the presence of large-shell gaps which stabilize the nuclear shape. A relatively small number of available neutron and proton configurations can lead to fragmentation of the SD intensity into a number of different bands. Two good examples of this phenomenon were found in {sup 192}Tl and {sup 194}Tl where the presence of six superdeformed bands were reported in both nuclei. We reexamined {sup 192}Tl at Gammasphere using the {sup 160}Gd({sup 37}Cl,5n) reaction at 178 MeV to populate states in the superdeformed well of this nucleus. While our previous study on {sup 192}Tl at ATLAS was very successful, a number of questions remained which formed the basis of our objectives in this experiment: obtain better {gamma}-ray energies for the known transitions and identify higher spin members in each band; determine how the bands feed the known yrast states in {sup 192}Tl as well as determine the complete spectrum inmore » coincidence with the SD bands; look for M1 transitions connecting proposed signature partners; and attempt to identify other excitations in the superdeformed well. Analysis is underway and four of the six bands were confirmed. The reasons that two of the reported bands were not observed in this latest work is still under investigation. As of this time, no other superdeformed bands were identified in the data. Two of the confirmed SD bands have a constant moment of inertia and show indications of cross-talk between each other. This observation is not unexpected since the calculated M1 rates for the proposed configuration of the band, {pi}{sub 13/2} x {upsilon}j{sub 15/2}, indicate that M1 transitions linking the two SD bands should be observed.« less

An excited superdeformed (SD) band has been observed in {sup 19O}Hg which decays to the lowest-energy (yrast) SD band rather than to the less deformed states as observed in most known SD bands in the A{approximately}150 and A{approximately}190 regions. The band exhibits properties which are in good agreement with predictions of collective octupole vibrations in the SD well of {sup 19O}Hg.

We have studied γ-ray multiplicity distributions for the system 16 O + 152 Sm at five beam energies in the range 60–80 MeV, near and below the Coulomb barrier. The data were obtained using a large array of γ-ray detectors and an efficient evaporation-residue detector system utilizing an electrostatic deflector. The data are in good agreement with predictions of angular momentum distributions calculated using a coupled-channels model incorporating the effects of deformation.

Evaporation residue cross sections and neutron multiplicity distributions have been measured for the 12 C + 144 Sm and 64 Ni + 92 Zr reactions leading to the same compound nucleous 156 Er. Statistical model calculations can account for the data in the 12 C-induced reaction. In contrast, the inhibition of neutron emission with respect to statistical model predictions seen in 64 Ni + 92 Zr cannot be explained even with the inclusion of the broad angular momentum distributions required to describe the fusion cross section data.

Regular patterns of E0 transitions were observed after 232Th(α,xn reactions. They indicate that the moments of inertia of β- and ground-state bands are nearly equal in 234U, in contrast to its even-even neighbours 232Th, 232U and 236U.

Using two Compton-suppression spectrometers in an Eγ−Eγ coincidence experiment, the yrast bands in 167,168Hf were extended up to 49 2 and 28 ħ, respectively. The i 13 2 positive parity band in 167Hf experiences backbending at a higher frequency than the first backbending in 168Hf, and no second backbending is obseerved in 168Hf. New information is threby obtained on the nature and interaction strength of the crossing bands in the vicinity of N = 96.

Experimental data on excitation energies and B(E2) values in the even-even Ru and Pd, and odd-A Rh and Ag isotopes suggest the existence of a Spin(3) spinor symmetry and a U ( 6 2 ) supersymmetry in these nuclei, wherein the even-even isotopes are described by the SU(5) limit of the interacting boson model and the odd proton of the odd-A isotopes is in a j = 1 2 orbit.

The γ−γ energy correlation matrix obtained from 159Tb(14N,xn)reactions at 95 MeV exhibits a low-intensity central valley with smoothly decreasing width when the rotational frequency increases, indicating an increasing collective moment of inertia. Enhanced intensities in valley at h ω = 0.42 and 0.52 MeV are observed for the first time in the HF isotopes and are interpreted as due to band crossings which may involve i 13 2 ,f 7 2 neutron and h 11 2 proton or higher orbital.

Lifetimes for high-spin levels (between about 10 and 30 ħ ) in 154 Er have been measured by the recoil-distance method. Non-collective, moderately collective and collective E2 transitions from states with lifetimes between at most 10 and 400 ps have been found. All available data on this nucleus are discussed within the framework of the oblate coupling scheme with the addition of collective degrees of freedom.

The multipolarity of continuum transitions deexciting high-spin states has been deduced from measured conversion coefficients. The investigated 146Nd(20Ne, 4n or 5n) 162,161Yb reactions were selected by gating on discrete lines. The average multipolarity gradually changes from E2 at 0.5 MeV to E1 above 1.5 MeV.

A discrete γ-ray study of 155 Er has been performed. A level scheme up to spin 85/2 has been established and interpreted using the deformed Woods-Saxon cranking approximation, taking into account pairing forces. Interpretation in terms of shape coexistence, band termination and breaking of the ( Z =64, N =82) core is proposed.